I. com ‧ ment 1 S1 W2 AC /ˈkɒment $ ˈkɑː-/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ comment , ↑ commentary ; verb : ↑ comment ]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Late Latin ; Origin: commentum , from Latin , 'invention' , from comminisci 'to invent' ]
1 . [uncountable and countable] an opinion that you express about someone or something SYN remark
comment on/about
his comments about asylum seekers
He was fined for making abusive comments to the referee.
no comment (=used by people in public life when they do not want to answer questions)
2 . [uncountable] criticism or discussion of something someone has said or done:
The speech received much comment in the press.
3 . be a comment on something to be a sign of the bad quality of something:
The number of adults who cannot read is a sad comment on the quality of our schools.
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COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ make a comment
Everyone was making appreciative comments about the delicious food.
▪ have a comment (=want to make a comment)
Do you have any comments on that, David?
▪ pass (a) comment British English (=give an opinion)
He looked at my photos but he didn’t pass comment.
▪ invite comment(s) (=ask people to give an opinion)
The website invites comments from people who visit it.
▪ welcome comments (=be glad to hear people’s opinions)
We would welcome your comments and suggestions.
▪ receive comments
It is very helpful to receive comments from the public.
■ adjectives
▪ a brief/quick comment
I just want to make a very brief comment.
▪ a helpful/constructive comment (=one that helps you make progress)
Pay close attention to your teacher’s constructive comments.
▪ a positive/negative comment
There were some very positive comments in the report.
▪ a critical comment
The school has received critical comments from inspectors.
▪ (a) fair comment (=a criticism that is reasonable)
I accepted as fair comment 90% of what he said.
▪ a snide comment (=unkind and made in a secret or indirect way)
She made some really snide comments about you when you weren’t here.
▪ a disparaging/derogatory comment (=criticizing someone or something in an unpleasant way)
Never make disparaging comments about a colleague’s work.
▪ a scathing/damning comment (=a very critical one)
There were a lot of scathing comments about the film.
▪ an appreciative comment (=showing that you think something is good or nice)
Appreciative comments may improve your staff’s performance.
▪ a sarcastic comment (=in which you say the opposite of what you mean, as an unkind joke)
I tried to stay calm, despite his sarcastic comments.
▪ a casual comment (=not very serious or important)
I only made a casual comment about finding the work a bit boring.
▪ a passing comment (=a quick comment made without thinking about it very carefully)
She got upset about a passing comment I made about her clothes.
▪ a shrewd comment (=good at judging people or situations)
His newspaper article is always full of shrewd comments.
▪ a wry comment (=saying that something is bad in an amusing way)
‘Perhaps the food could be improved,’ was the wry comment of one prisoner.
▪ a bitter comment (=an angry one)
Several pensioners passed some bitter comments.
▪ a public comment
The jury are forbidden from making public comments.
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THESAURUS
▪ comment something that you say or write in order to give your opinion:
Does anyone have any comments?
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Readers are invited to send in their comments and suggestions.
▪ remark something that you say:
Just ignore them if they start making rude remarks.
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I’m not sure what he meant by that last remark.
▪ point something that someone mentions about a subject in a discussion, argument, article etc:
That’s an interesting point, Steve.
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He raises (=mentions) a number of important points in his paper.
▪ observation a comment in which you say what you think or have noticed about something:
Karl Marx made the observation that history repeats itself first as tragedy, second as farce.
▪ aside a comment made in a low voice, that you intend only certain people to hear:
‘Is that true?’, she whispered in an aside to Don.
▪ quip /kwɪp/ a clever and amusing comment:
She knew she should reply with some light-hearted quip.
▪ dig informal a comment you make to annoy or criticize someone:
I’m tired of her little digs at me.
▪ taunt /tɔːnt $ tɒːnt/ a comment intended to make someone angry or upset:
The fans made racist taunts throughout the game.
II. comment 2 S3 W3 AC BrE AmE verb [intransitive and transitive]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ comment , ↑ commentary ; verb : ↑ comment ]
to express an opinion about someone or something SYN remark
comment on
People were always commenting on his size.
comment that
Smith’s lawyer commented that the decision was ‘outrageous’.
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THESAURUS
■ to say something
▪ say to tell someone something, using words:
‘I really ought to go,’ she said.
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Lauren said she’d probably be late.
▪ state to say something, especially in a definite or formal way – used in official contexts:
The witness stated that he had never seen the woman before.
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Please state your name and address.
▪ announce to publicly tell people about something:
The chairman announced his resignation.
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The results will be announced tomorrow.
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We will announce the winners next Sunday.
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They were announcing the train times over the loudspeaker system.
▪ declare to say something very firmly:
‘My personal life is none of your business,’ she declared.
▪ mention to talk about someone or something, especially without giving many details:
Did Tom mention anything about what happened at school?
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Your name was mentioned!
▪ express to let someone know your feelings by putting them into words:
Young children often find it difficult to express their emotions.
▪ comment to say what your opinion is about someone or something:
The prime minister was asked to comment on the crisis.
▪ note/remark formal to say that you have noticed that something is true – used especially in formal writing:
We have already noted that most old people live alone.
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Someone once remarked that the problem with computers is that they only give you answers.
▪ add to say something more, after what has already been said:
He added that he thought it could be done fairly cheaply.
▪ point out to mention something that seems particularly important or relevant:
Dr Graham points out that most children show some signs of abnormal behaviour.
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It’s worth pointing out that few people actually die of this disease.
▪ air to talk about your opinions, worries, or the things you disagree about: air your views/grievances/differences :
The programme will give listeners the chance to air their views about immigration.
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Workers were able to air their grievances.
▪ voice to talk publicly about your feelings or about whether you approve or disapprove of something formal : voice concern/support/doubt/fears etc :
The president has already voiced his support for the proposal.
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She voiced concern for the safety of the hostages.